Rake bar bearing assembly



Jan. 1957 L. H. SKROMME ET. AL

RAKE BAR BEARING ASSEMBLY Original Filed April 5, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR. law-1mm A! :Jbumwrw BY Mm y A fax/1m c. mam/3;.

A YTORNEV Jan. 15, 1957 H. SKROMME ETAL 7 7 RAKE BAR BEARING ASSEMBLYOriginal Filed April 5, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l/VVENTO s Rm/zand 6, 0M

RAKE BAR BEARING ASSEMBLY Lawrence H. Skromme, Manheim Township,Lancaster County, and Melvin J. Happe, New Holland, Pa., assignors toNew Holland Machine Division of the Sperry Rand Corporation, NewHolland, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Original application April 5,1952, Serial No. 280,752,

now Patent No. 2,750,729, dated June 19, 1956. Divided and thisapplication August 3, 1954, Serial No. 447,552

Claims. (Cl. 56-377) This invention relates to a side delivery hay rakeof the well known roller bar reel type as exemplified in the W. E.Martin U. S. Patent 818,899 of April 24, 1906, and more particularly tothe means for mounting the bearings on the rake bars of a rake of thistype.

This application is a division of our co-pending application Serial No.280,752 filed April 5, 1952, now Patent No. 2,750,729, issued June 19,1956.

While side delivery rakes of the roller bar reel type have beensatisfactory in many respects, the bearing means for coupling the rollerbars to their supporting reel spiders have been subjected to rapid wear,due in part to tendency of foreign material to enter and deteriorate thebearings and also due in part to the twisting forces imposed on thebearing during operation of the rake and tending to cause brinelling.

The twisting forces are produced partly by the weight of the respectivebars which are normally supported at a location axially spaced from thebearing centers and to a larger extend by the operative engagement(hereinafter referred to simply as ground engagement) of the rake tineswith the hay and/or the ground. The combined moments of forcetransmitted to each bar through its several tines create a substantialtorque on the rake bar tending to twist it about its supportingbearings. The magnitude of the twisting movement exerted on the bearingswill obviously increase with the distance between the free ends of therake bars and a,line extending between the centers of the respectivebearings.

With the above considerations in mind, it is an important object of theinvention to reduce to a minimum the twisting forces to which thebearings are subjected. We have foundthat this may be accomplished bysupporting each rake bar in such a position that its major axisintersects the axis of its supporting bearings in the central radialplanes of the bearings. We thus eliminate that portion of the twistingforce which results from the weight of the bar and reduce to a minimumthe twisting movement caused by ground engagement. Moreover, due tomaintaining the twisting forces on the bearings at a minimum, ourinvention renders practical the use of but a single hearing at each endof the rake bar in lieu of the two axially spaced bearings such asformerly were required to successfully resist the twisting forcesimposed on the rake bar.

The foregoing, as well as other incidental objects and advantages areattained by the embodiment of the invention illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 represents a fragmentary cross-section through one of thespiders of a raking reel and one of the rake bars pivotally connectedthereto, the view being taken in the common axial plane of the rake barand its pivotal connection to the spider;

Figure 2 represents a front elevation of the structure shown in Figure-1; and

nited States Patent 0 fee Patented Jan. 15, 1957 Fig. 3 is a plan viewof a roller-bar type side delivery rake assembly embodying ourinvention.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings, there is shown inFig. 3 a rigid rake basket 20f the type which is commonly supported forground traversing movement on a wheeled rake frame with the majordimension of the basket 2 extending diagonally to the direction ofground traversing movement, indicated by the arrow in Fig. l.

Rotatably journaled in the forward and rear ends 3 and 4, respectively,of the basket are parallel horizontal shafts 5 and 6 which support theend plates or spiders 7 and 8 at the opposite ends of the raking reel.The rearmost shaft 6 is received in gear box 9 (shown fragmentarily)through which it is driven by any suitable or conventional means.

Extending diagonally between the respective spiders 7 and 8 are theusual roller bars 1 0, each supporting a series of downwardly directedrake tines 11, the arrangement being such that rotation of the reelduring ground traversing movement of the rake causes the rake bars 10 tosuccessively engage the hay by means of their tines 11 and form the hayinto a windrow extending from the rearmost or driven end of the reel.

The rake bars 19 are preferably of tubular metal construction and theends of the bars adjacent spider 7 are connected thereto as clearlyshown in Figs. 1 and 2. The end of each rake bar lit is cut or disposedin a diagonal plane parallel to the adjacent face of the spider '7 andto the plane of rotation thereof. The spider 7 rotates about an axiswhich is displaced radially inwardly from and parallel to the axis R ofthe pivot or stub shaft 26, Figure l. A flat mounting plate 16 issecured over and flush against the end of bar 10 as by welding 18.

The diagonal mounting plate 16 projects substantially beyond the end ofthe bar it). A bearing B is mounted on the plate and positioned beyondthe end of the bar it) as far as is necessary in order that theintersection between the axes A and R of the bar 10 and bearing B,respectively, may be located at the center of an annular row of balls 23of the bearing. The bearing B employs but a single row or series ofballs 23 so that its axial dimension and consequently the extent oflongitudinal displacement required to locate its axis at the properintersection point aforementioned may both be main tained at a minimum.

This bearing B may be of the fixed alignment type as shown in which theinner and outer races 22 and 30 respectively are both providedwithannular grooves to retain betweenthem the single row of balls 23. Inorder to facilitate assembly of the bearing, its outer race 30 is splitas at 3th: in the plane of the greatest diameter of its ball groove, andthe two halves are held together in a housing 193 having a marginalflange 19C located flush with its rear end and bolted flush against theplate 16 as shown at 21, so that the plate 16 closes and seals this endof the bearing. At its other end the housing 193 is provided with aninwardly directed flange 191) which overlies a shoulder 22A on the innerrace 22 to thus provide a suitable seal.

The stud or stub shaft 26 is rigidly fixed on the spider '7. Fig. 1exemplifies one of several possible ways of operatively mounting theinner race 22 on the spider 7, the inner race being disposed axially onthe stud 26 and secured against axial and rotary movement by means suchas .a set screw27 threaded through a collar 28 formed integrally on theinner race externally of the housing and adjacent the spider 7.

In the foregoing combination it will be apparent that there is providedan accurate, economical, and nevertheless, quite simple way of mountingthe bearing with its rotational axis at the desired diagonal angle tothe major axis of the roller bar 10. Moreover, it will be seen that thisarrangement permits the major axis of the bar 10 to intersect thebearing axis at a point which will obviously be located in the center ofthe central radial plane of the bearing balls 23. Thus, the twistingforces transmitted to thebearing and tending to change its axis ofrotation will be maintained near a minimum with consequently reducedwear on the bearing. It is of particular importance to note that, due tothe specific location Of the intersection of these axes A and R, anytwisting force that. might otherwise result from the weight of theroller bar 10 is eliminated While the twisting force resulting fromground engagement of the roller bar is maintained at a minimum.

In this divisional application we show and describe a preferredembodiment of our invention simply by way of illustration of thepractice of the invention as by law required. However, we recognize thatthe invention is capable of other and different embodiments and that itsseveral details may be modified in various ways all Without departingfrom the inventive concept. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptionherein are to be considered as merely illustrative in nature and not asexclusive.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a side, delivery rake, a spider supported for rotation about afixed axis, an anti-friction bearing having an inner race fixedlysupported on said spider and an outer race rotatable on said inner raceabout a axis parallel to said fixed axis, a rake bar disposed diagonallyto said fixed axis and having one end fixedly connected to said outerrace in a location such that the major axis of the bar and therotational axis of said outer race intersect at substantially the centerof the bearing.

2. In a side delivery hay rake, a spider supported for rotation about afixed axis, a stud mounted on said spider at a point spaced from saidfixed axis, said stud having an axis which extends parallel to saidfixed axis, an antifriction bearing having an inner race mounted on saidstud, means fixedly connecting said stud and said inner race to saidspider, said bearing having an outer race rotatable on said inner raceabout said parrallel axis, a rake bar disposed diagonally to said fixedand parallel axes and havine one end fixedly connected to said outerrace in a location such that the major axis of the bar and the parallelaxis of said stud intersect at substantially the center of the bearing.

3. In a side delivery hay rake, a spider supported for rotation about afixed axis, a stud mounted on said spider at a point spaced from saidfixed axis, said stud having an axis which extends parallel to saidfixed axis, an anti-friction bearing having an inner race mounted onsaid stud, means fixedly connecting said stud and said inner race tosaid spider, said bearing having an outer race rotatable on said innerrace about said parallel axis, a rake bar disposed diagonally to saidfixed and parallel axis and having one end fixedly connected to saidouter race in a location such that the major axis of the bar and theparallel axis of said stud intersect at substantially the center of thebearing, and a single, annular roll of anti-friction elements interposedbetween said inner and outer races in a radial plane of said bearingcenter.

4. In, a side delivery hay rake, a spider supported for rotation about afixed axis, a stud fixedly mounted on said spider at a point spaced fromsaid fixed axis, said stud having an axis which extends parallel to saidfixed axis, an anti-friction bearing having an inner race mounted onsaid stud, threaded means for afiixing said inner race to said stud,said bearing having an outer race rotatable on said inner race aboutsaid parallel axis, a single annular roll of anti-friction ballsinterposed between said inner and outer races, a tubular rake bardisposed diagonally to said fixed and parallel axes, and means fixedlyconnecting one end of said rake bar to said outer race in a locationsuch that the major axis of said bar and the parallel axis of said studintersect at substantially the center of the bearing, said annular rollof balls being disposed in a radial plane of said bearing center.

5. In a side delivery hay rake of the roller bar reel type, a spidersupported for rotation about a fixed axis, a stud fixedly mounted onsaid spider at a point spaced fromsaid fixed axis, said stud having anaxis which extends parallel to said fixed axis, an anti-friction bearinghaving an inner race mounted on said stud, threaded means for afiixingsaid inner race to said stud, said bearing having an outer racerotatable on said inner race about said parallel axis, a single annularroll of antifriction balls interposed between said inner and outerraces, a tubular rake bar disposed diagonally to said fixed and parallelaxes and having an end disposed diagonally to the major axis of the bar,a flat plate secured flush against said end, means fixedly connectingsaid fiat plate to said outer race in a position such that the plateextends in a plane parallel to said spider, and the major axis of saidbar and the parallel axis of said stud intersect at substantially thecenter of the bearing, said annular roll of balls being disposed in aradial plane of said bearing center.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS2,022,252 Miltenberger Nov. 26, 1935 2,105,120 Johnson Jan. 11, 19382,603,933 Shore July 22, 1952 2,621,465 Klemm Dec. 16, 1952

